About a month ago, on July 14th, Depaul University’s, Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development came to Libertyville to see the SchoolStreet project first hand. The group came here to “discuss the design and public process issues involved in downtown planning.” They focused on three development types; public, private, and non-profit.

To present Libertyville’s private downtown development ventures, StreetScape’s own John McLinden, took a group of about 65 experts in municipal development on a guided tour, explaining the urban planning concepts behind SchoolStreet.

Below are photos from the event, and above is a kind letter written to StreetScape from Libertyville’s Community Development Department.

Last week, Sarah Susanka was in town to check on the construction progress of her “Not So Big®” Showhouse on School Street. While she was here, she recorded a quick walking tour of her design concepts throughout the home. We especially appreciate her explanation for bringing the kitchen to the front of the house – the idea is part of the overall concept of SchoolStreet, to bring the living back to the front porch and ultimately to the street. This is how we create our “front porch” communities.

It rained in the morning, but the afternoon brought clear skies and cooler temperatures… it was perfect for all the porch parties along School Street. We had a lot of fun, food, and drinks – and residents were able to get their first sneak peek at Sarah Susanka’s “Not So Big®” Showhouse.

Sarah Susanka, renowned architect and author of the Not So Big House book series, has designed our Showhouse on School Street in Libertyville, IL.

Saturday marks the first time that the home will be open to the public for a sneak peek of what all of the excitement is about. The home is still under construction, so we will be hosting a “Front Porch Party” for the neighborhood, the village, and other folks who would like to see the Not So Big® concepts first hand.

The Showhouse is one of the celebrated homes of a 26 house development we are building in downtown Libertyville on School Street. The name of the new urban infill development is…. you guessed it, School Street! Anchoring the street, is a 1939 school house that will be converted to 15 loft units with soaring ceilings, huge windows, and really cool floor plans fitting into old school rooms.

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We are up! There has been a lot of buzz around our Libertyville urban infill project, especially over the last couple of months. For this reason, we tried to find the best way to get the info out about what is happening with our current housing innovations, and some thoughts about what we see as the future of housing…. and what could be better than WordPress!

So, check back in, sign-up, and pass this blog on to your friends. We won’t be giving away all of our secrets, but we do plan to publicly push the envelope of delivering quality housing and infill development projects. These homes and spaces have previously been unattainable for mainstream America, and we are cracking the code to allow all demographics access to great design.